LSU Coach Miles IS Right on the Media and Wrong on the Media

I was so hoping this issue would just so go away. However some remarks from LSU Coach Miles Press conference on Monday has now hit the national media. As soon as I heard them , I knew Miles probably regretted saying it.

There two issues here that LSU fans and others are morphing into one. That is causing some confusion and really is not helping matters.

The first issue is Les Miles and his policy on injuries. More specifically giving that information out to the press. In the background is this piece that a journalist wrote on a Lafayette Newspaper blog called Miles injury philosophy hurting. I expressed my viewpoint on this blog as to that here at Sports "Journalist" Goes on Rant/Crying Jag/Temper Tantrum Agains LSU Coach LSU Miles . If you note Glen Guilbeau's Newspaper blog entry was posted before Miles's remarks on Monday.

MILES IS RIGHT AND GUILBEAU IS WRONG.

However that is not what has gotten most journalists upset. Last night in a pretty funny piece on AOL sports called Les Miles Wants YOU to Join the LSU Team they go into the other remarks. What LES should not have said was the following:
LSU coach Les Miles told reporters at his press luncheon Monday that they better take his and nobody else's word on injuries because that will help "your team." "I think if you would review your own personal stance at how you report injuries - if it comes out of my mouth you use it," Miles said. "If it doesn't, if you root for your team and if in fact this is your team, then you would choose not to report anything that doesn't come out or described by me. I know that everything is news, but sometimes news doesn't help your team. I would encourage you to see it my way. You should be respectful of the team that you cover."

MILES IS WRONG ON THIS

Let me say I love Les Miles. HE gets a bum rap often. I also think that Les was VERY angry that a reporter called LSU QB Matt Flynn's dad last week and asked him about Matt's injury. I think this might have caused him to say something he now regrets .More on that later. However it is not the job of the Advocate to be clearing stuff through Les Miles. Coach Miles statement puts these journalists in a very embarrassing position with its implications. For that reason no one should be shocked when journalists fire back.

For instance Miles must accept the media isn't on LSU's payroll was a article that appeared today. Now LSU fans are missing the point of that article as shown by this thread on an Internet board(I am Bayourant on that thread) I think most journalists . besides idiot Guilbeau, are not taking Miles to task for his injury reporting policy. I do think they are offended by his remarks on the other matter.

The fact is LSU fans have got to realize that LSU is not the only home"team". LSU is blessed to have fans and supporters from other schools. However I think TULANE AND LOUISIANA TECH(which are on LSU's schedule) will be relived to find out Louisiana news Media an journalist are not acting like they are paid employees of LSU.

Now LSU haters stand back. I am sure Les miles did not not mean to disrespect Tulane or LA Tech and imply they are not the "team" for many people in Louisiana too. I doubt he was thinking of those two great schools or ULL or ULM for that matter. Like I said I have a feeling that the phone call to Flynn's dad just irked him. What Miles should have done was handle his problem privately with THE reporter and not made a issue of it at a news conference. In the end Les just needs to apologize before this becomes a big issue. HE is a good man and I expect he did not think through what he was saying.

Anyway If I can get home in time I shall be calling FOX and Company on ESPN RADIO out of Ruston(Internet Stream on link) and ask them their viewpoint. So if you hear a person asking the following questions its me!!

(1) Do you think Les Miles Policy on reporting injuries is Ok?
(2) Do you think Les Miles was out of line on his other remarks ?
(3) Do print journalist and Radio journalist often found themselves pressured not to report "bad news"?For instance they cover LA Tech, LSU, Grambling, and ULM quite a bit. I expect they have dealt with this before. What is their standard? What is the real World like on this? For instance if there is a big injury they know about at Grambling before a game do they report it? IS there a different standard for print media and radio media?

and lastly

(4) though it might be ethical is there some understanding that you don't call player's parents for injury reports? There may or may not be. But I think that is frowned on.

Anyway listen up.